Cotter key



April 13, 1948. J. A. MacLE-AN, JR.,' ET'AL 2,439,778

COTTER KEY Filed May 2l, 1945 Patented Apr. 13, 1948 assente COTTER KEY lohn A. MacLean, Jr., Winnetka, lllifand leiija ymin Franklin Money, Tulsa, Okla., assignors to MacLean-Fogg Lock Nut Company, Chicago,

111 acorporationof Illinois A Appiieatio'n May 21, wissen@ No. 595,024 i 2 claims. (c1. spas) .Ourpresent invention relates .to cotter keys and particularly to those of .atype which, when installedin appropriate Cotter. receiving holes of partswth ,which they are adapted Yto cooperate, have. a plurality of. surfaces forcibly engaging `and heldzagainst the Wall ofthe hole, with the result that. rattling. of the .cotter key and consequent Wear of .bothA `the cotter key and the .Wall of the holeareprevented.

. As ageneral object, the present invention contemplatesthe provisionof cotter key structure including a displaced section, .deformable in use and. having wedge-like .and somewhat resilient characteristics adapted forcibly to hold the Cotter key .Within a vCotter receiving opening of an appropriate size. .In a cotter key having two normally adjacent legs, the invention provides for the sidewise curvature of adjacent intermediate portions of the legs Without affecting thegalignment of the other portions `o f the legs, the eurvatureand the posiq tionthereof beingv such that, said cotter pin is forcibly `retained Within an openingoi' appropriate .size in; a Veoacting cotter receiving part.

, Another `object ofthis invention is to provide an .improved cotter key adapted to fit snugly in either a normal or oversize cotter receiving'opening. i e

.Y .In addition to the displacement or curvature delned. in the foregoing objects, ourpresent invention yco mprehends the normal separation ,of the .ootterkey ylegs bren .amount suon that norma-1 resilience of r`the legs aids in the holding action.

. .Otherzfeatures objects andedvantages l.of-.our present invention-Willfappear from the following detailed description whereinA reference is made to theia'ccompanying drawings.-

Referring tothe sinslesheetof drawings: vFiss l, 2 and 3v are respectively edge, sdeend `end yelevational views of. one-.form.of our improved eotter key as it appears before bei-ng placed in. Jthe. cotteigsreceiving opening of t a bolt, pin or other pertiwith Whenfit is adapted,tiitoret-t;

Fig. iig-is a sectional viewshovving the cottergkey of .Figsjlg 2. and 43 as it -appearsafter being driven into anappropriate cotter receiving hole of a coaeting parti.. f

.. Fiss.. .5, 6 and?! .are respectivelyedge,fside and endielevational views ora Arnodiiied-.Hiorm of; our @Otter key as it appears before being inserted into thecotter receivingholeoif aco-acting. part;

Fign is asectionalvievvof thecotter key` shown in, Eigs.- L5, 6 .and 7 as it,l appears after .bein-ginstalled in. acotter. receiving hole of normal size in a eo=acting part;

. Fig, 9 is asectional .view similar to Eig. BWhch illustrates `the @otter key-of Figs,.5, .Gand .7 as. it appesfswhen appl.Oprately.installedn a Cotter resolving opening .thatis oyerssizet..

v :.ltigi 10. issn edge, elevational view, Fie. l2, ofanothermodied .torio of our Cotter. .key esit-appearsbefore insertion into a .Cotter receivingopeninmandf. ,4 Figs...11.and Y12 are .respectiveiysectional. views of the leotterlcey. shown Ain .Fig...1.9as it` .appears wheninserted. into normal and oversize Cotter receiving Openings.. i

Referring .to the. exemplary embodiment of. our Cotter lseyshown infissi, ,2. andit comprises a -pieceof .half round metal wire which .has been return-bent and formed to ydefine-a head loopV with legs I2 andi textending therefrom.. Qneleg, suchfas i3 -in the .illustratedfernbodiment is de sirably sQmeWhatJQQser ,than theother to facilitate, the separation .of `.the legs after. the in-Y stallation of. the ootterkem. `.flat faces of the half round Wire stock face one another and desirably extend in. separated but closely .spaced Vvrelation. divergingat one ,end toward ,the head loop.

The material used in thewire-.stools is preferably a. steel. such. as. .that :which hasbeeli .fOllIld ,Silitable. .for eotterkeys andwhieh. possesses; some .resilience and.. the .capability of .deformation-` Althoughthere.arevarioiisways in which the nished. cotter. key Amight loe manufactured, .it is consideredv preferable that after theformation of the-,key `with the.. rounded. headloop l0 and integral projecting legs. lzand i3, divereingtat 22a and `vItcnearoneend and toward the head loop, similar onset portions or protuberances Mend l5 are formedin` adjacent relation on one side of the legs by depression of the leg$. .as .at i6. and l." from4 the opposite. si des It isthe.. pur-pose oithe pitotutieranees .tofprovide wedge-.like offset .portions Von the sidesof thedegs havingrelatively smooth curvaturewith respect vto the aligned end portions ,of ythe legst The curved-surfaces of. the protuberances and opposite indentations are pieferably of. substantially karcuate contour and concentriovvith respeotlto aecommon axis. y

Since the. legs lland, I3 of the cotter keydi.-

verge at.. Iza Vand .laadjacent the head loop. lll, that vdivergence provides outer surfaces Von the cotter key which taper outwardly in :one plane to effect a. tight t betweenthe key and the wall o f oneend of an appropriate cotter receiving opening when thecotter keyis forced into the opening.` .The function oi the protuberances I4 and .I ii, however, is notf onlyto. insure airtight t of lille Cotter key against ythe walls. of the` potter re- ',siinilar to ceiving opening at positions spaced from the head loop, but also to separately eiect tight engagement of both legs of the cotter key Within the opening and in a direction transverse to that effected by the divergence of the legs. The protuberances are consequently spaced from the head loop although sufficiently close thereto to engage the Wall of a cotter receiving opening I8 in a bolt or other desired part I 9, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Thus, it may be understood that when the cotter key of Figs. 1-4 inclusive is inserted into an opening of appropriate size, the protuberances eect forced engagement of the key with the wall of the opening on opposite sides thereof and nor-A mally at substantially three points in one plane. The insertion to a position in which the diverging legs contact the wall of the opening adjacent the head loop adds additional and opposite points of engagement in a plane separate and transverse to the aforementioned plane.

For effective use, it is desirable that the cotter receiving opening I8 shall be of a size which freely receives the extending ends of the legs I2 and I3 but which will engage and somewhat deform the surfaces of the protuberances I4 and I5 to produce the desired Wedging action which forces the opposite sides of the legs into tight engagement with the wall of the opening. The divergence of the legs I2 and I3 from one another and toward the head loop desirably starts at o-r near the offset portions of the legs and is of a magnitude such that the opposed outer surfaces of the legs I2 and I3 tightly engage the wall of an opening of a size appropriate for effecting the desired Wedging action of the protuberances Il! and I5. l

The modied form of our cotter key, which is illustrated in Figs.l 5 to 9 inclusive, includes elements similar to those illustrated and described in connection with the formshown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, which elementsare designated by like reference numerals.

Although the cotter key shown in Figs. 5 to 9 inclusive includes the elements such as the head loop I6 and extending legs I2 and I3, as Well as the oifset portion intermediate the aligned ends of the legs which provides the protuberances I4 and I5, it is characterized by leg portions I2`b`and 13b adjacent the head loop which, although desirably diverging outwardly toward the head loop, are more widely separated than the diverging portions I2a and I3a of the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. The Wider separation of the portions I2b and I3b of the cotter key legs of the form shown in Figs. 5 to 9 inclusive is eifected by relatively abrupt angular deformation of the legs I2 and I3 at I2C and I3c.

Upon being installed in a cotter receiving bore I8 of normal size, the Wedging action of the protuberances I4 and I5 is similar to thatdescribed with respect to the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, but the portions I2C and I3c of the legs provide stops limiting the movement of the cotter key into the bore. The installation of the cotter key in an opening of normal size is illustrated in Fig. 8, wherein the protuberaxrces I4 and I5 effect tight engagement of the cotter key legs Within the bore I8 While the portions I2C and I 3c abut theend Walls of the bore. The points of engagement between the cotter key and the Wall of an opening of proper size, or only slightly oversize, are similar to those described with reference to Figs. 1-4 inclusive. That is, the forced engagement effected by the presence of the protuberance is normally in one plane; While the additional contact resulting from full and proper insertion of the key into the opening and against the diverging portions I2c and |30 is in a transverse plane.

As illustrated in Fig. 9, the cotter key of the form shown in Figs. 5 to 9 inclusive is adapted to service in instances Where a bore I8@ in part I8a has become over-size due to wear or some other In such instances, this form of cotter key is driven into the opening to an extent such that the more Widely separated portions IZb and ISU of the legs I2 and I3 are forced into the opening. The resulting forced iit of the portions YIb and I3b of the legs of the cotter key Within the opening Iii-a will serve firmly to hold the cotter key against movement or rattling within the opening.

Like the previously described modified form, the modification of our invention which is illustrated in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 also includes parts bearing reference numerals like those previously referred to which function similarly.

In additionto the parts such as the head loop IG, extending legs I2 and I3 and the protuberances such as I5 opposite depressions I5 and Il for rmly holding the cotter key in an opening I8 of normal size, the cotter key shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 is additionally provided with a second deformed portion of larger size adapted to hold the cotter key in an oversize opening. Longitudinally spaced along the legs I2 and I3 from the protuberances I4 and I5, and disposed between the latter protuberances and the head loop III are protuberances such as I5@ which extend laterally beyond the protubera-nces I6 and l5. The larger protuberances such as ISa are formed in a manner similar to the protuberances III and I5 with opposite depressions Ia and I'Ia and project in the same direction from the legs.

In an opening of appropriate size, the smaller protuberances function in the manner of the previously described protuberances; although the larger protuberance provides a stop for insertion of the key and an additional point of contact with the wall of the opening in substantially the same plane as the contacting points of the smaller protuberances.

As shown in Fig. 11, the cotter key, When installe-d in an opening I8 of normal size, is snugly held in the opening by the protuberances Iii and I5, while the larger protuberances act as stops to limit the movement of the cotter key into the opening. However, when the cotter receiving opening is oversize or Worn as indicated at IIlb in Fig. 12, the normal sized protuberances Ill and I5 pass through the opening and the larger ones serve to effect the snug t of the cotter key Within the opening. In the latter instance the head ring limits the movement of the cotter key into the opening as it does in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

In all of the forms of the cotter key disclosed, of course, endvvise movement of the cotter keys from the opening is prevented by bending the ends of the legs outwardly, as indicated in Fig. 9. It may also be understood with respect to all of the forms that the protuberances are desirably of a size which produces a snug fit in openings of reasonable oversize and are deformed upon insertion to fit smaller openings.

The steps by which the cotter keys of Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive and 10 are manufactured may be similar to those for the production of the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, and the side-Wise deformation of the legs to produce either one or two sets of the protuberances may be done after the formation of the rest of the key.

While we have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, many modiiications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and we do not Wish t-o be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A cotter key adapted to t snugly into an appropriate Cotter-receiving aperture and comprising a pair of legs of substantially semi-circular section extending in adjacent and closely spaced relationship from an integral head loop, said legs having plane surfaces facing one another, the major portions of the length of each of said legs being substantially straight and aligned as viewed in a direction perpendicular to said plane surfaces, and adjacent intermediate portions of each of said legs being similarly bent to one side in a direction crosswise of said plane surfaces to form smoothly curved offset portions adapted to serve as wedges in said cotter-reeeiv ing aperture to effect tight engagement of the key in the aperture in directions at right angles to each other.

2. A cotter key adapted to t snugly in either a normal or Worn Cotter-receiving opening and comprising, in combination, a length of semi-circular Wire return bent to provide a head loop atv one end and a pair of extending legs disposed with their at surfaces in face to face relationship, adjacent portions of the legs intermediate their ends being similarly bent sidewise of the legs in the plane of the flat surfaces at longitudinally separated positions to provide tw-o sets of similarly shaped offset protuberances displaced from each other along the same sides of the legs, the set of said protuberances nearer the head loop projecting laterally beyond the other set so as to act as a stop for endwise movement of the legs into a Cotter-receiving opening of normal size wherein said other set ts snugly, and said set of protuberances nearer the head loop fitting snugly into a worn Cotter-receiving opening.

JOHN A. MACLEAN, JR. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MONEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Hannaford N-oV. 2, 1937 

